Apparatus for treating hydrocarbons



Aug. 1, 1933. w. M. 02055 APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS 3Sheets-Sheet 1 NZ l, 1916 Original Filed Aug. 1, 1933. w CROSS 1,920,930

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Original Filed Nov. 1916 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 1, 1933. w. M. CROSS APPARATUS FOR TREATINGHYDROCARBONS Original Filed Nov. 1, 1916 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 jam/12602WalTer M. Cross.

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Patented Aug. 1 ,1933

1 APPARATUS roa TREATING nrnaooim I I; aoNs 3 Walter M. Cross, Kansas"City, Mm, assignor, I

mesne assignments, to Gasoline Products Com pany,-Inc-., Wilmington,Del., aG orporationof Delaware Original application November 1,1916,Serial No; 7

Dividedand this application .filed V March 31,1921. -SerialN0. 454,718 7roams. (01. ice-.108)

This invention relates to an, improvement in an apparatus for treatinghydrocarbons and refers more particularly to an apparatus used forconverting relatively heavy hydrocarbons into lighter: hydrocarbonspreferablybf a gasoline like nature, and is-a division of my applicationin thevUm'ted States Patent Office Serial No. 128,839yfi1ed November1st, 19 16. Among the salient objects of the invention is to provide anapparatus whereby thehydrocarbons are treated continuously asdistinguished from one in which they are treated. intermittently,thereby not 'permitting afresh 'supplyoi hydrocarbon oil tobecontinuously. fedjto fthe apparatus. Also the result, thatis',thedistillate produced, is of better quality W and more uniform. M N

, AmQngot/her. objects of the invention is a much increased economy ofoperationnot only infuel' consumption but in the quantity of. oil thatcan be treated at a giventime.

, A. further object is that when operated 'c n;

, gree. Also with a relatively constant temperature .Jand pressurethereis less strain on the pipes and lead lines:

Inthe drawings: 7 m r I Big. lis a general view of the'apparatus with 4parts broken away toreduce the sizeof the draw ;i 5 Fig. 2isza.vertica1-, sectiona1 view vofjth e tube arrangement on an enlargedscale. f I

" Fig. 3 =is a View, partly 'diagrammatic and-partly in section, of myimproved apparatus. v Fig. eis-a transverse .sectional view taken onlin'es 4-4 of-.Fig. 3but on an enlargedscald'gg Referring-i'toFigs. 1and2, 1 designatesa fur- 'nace having the'usual fire box 2, above which,is'locateda seriesof'tubes 3, opening at their V opposite ends intohollow plateis i and plurality of baifie plates 6 and '2 ,are,employedin the furnaces. forjf orcing the hot gases along and; at the+upperend-,of the end plate -5 isan;

- joutlet';10connectedbyja conduit 11 with conyer-ter tank 12.; Leadingfrom this" convertertank 5 ,is a pair of dischargepipes 13 ans-.14. thelatter of which connects with a reheater 15 and the the chamber 12.

still 15. Also the pipe 31 is provided with a cutoii valve 32 forcontrolling the-flow of vapor from The outlet of the condenser coil 29is'provided with' a valve 40. r 1

this reacting temperature is maintained for a period of thirtyminutesmore or less accordingto' former 'is'connected with the inletpipe 9. Referring'to Fig. 3', 1. 1d} 1!), 1c, 10!, 1e represent aplurality of furnaees; 18, 18a, 182), etc. represent the circulatingpumps; -19. 19a; 19b, etc.-represent I themotorstodrive the same and13,"13a"13b, Q

'etc.and 11, 11 a, 111),- etc. represent the circulation fit pipes.Disposed at right angles to the longitu- 'dinalja xis of the chamber 12are a'plurality of supply pump and 36 a motor to drive the same; p 137the intake to saidpurnp and 35 is a feedpipe extending ma hs-pu p 33amemptying into In the employment of this apparatus it is contemplatedthat the substance treated will circulatefromthe jconvertertank' 12freely through the furnace'tube's 3 (Fig.2) of the furnaces 1, 1a, 1b,etc. and back into the converter tank "12. In order to cause thiscirculation, pumps 18, 18a, 181),

etc. are employed for forcing the oil through the inlets 9 of theheating, tubes 3. As shown, these pumps are driven by motors 19, 19a,19b, 'etc., .both pumps and motors being mounted on the common bases 20,20a, 20b, etc.. The passage through, the various pipes is controlled bysuit-- 3 able valves,v a cut-off valve 22 is inposition on the pipe 14.for controlling the passage of treated oil from the converter tank 12 tothe reheating the converter 12 direct to the condenser. 29. A pipe 28'leading from'thereheating still 15 to the condenser 29 is provided witha check valve 39.

" In starting the process, the intake 3'7 of the pump .33 isconnectedwith a suitable supply of oil to be treated. Then the pump33isstarted and'driven by the'motor 36, pumping the oil intotheconverter 12 through the intake 35. As soon as suiilcient oilis'pumped intothe apparatus, one third full more or less, thecirculating pumps 18, 18a, 182), etc. are'all started and heat isapplied in the furnaces 1, 1a, 11), etc. Now the pump 33 is stopped, andthe heat is applied in the furnaces perature is reached that pressurebegins to rise without any further increase in temperature, the pressureinthis case being that pressure due to the vapors fromthe hydrocarbonssubjected to the treatment being generated by theheat. Now

1, 1a, 112, etc. until the pressure in the apparatus V reaches the pointthat it increases out of proporftion to the temperature, that is, whensuch a temthe character of the oil used. In any event, the

temperature is maintained in the'apparatus until a substantial, amountof-conversion products-or gasoline-like products is obtained or formedin the oil itself. 'After this reacting time has been allowed, the valve32 is opened sufficient to permit 5: such incondensable gases toescapetoprevent. an.

excessive rise in pressure and'the pump 33 again started so that thedischarge'of oil through the. pipe, 14 together with any discharge ofvapor is replaced by the oil that is pumped in' through the intake 35simultaneously; 'I f'rthe pressure becomes excessive/the valve -32 isopened and some of the vapors are allowed to pass out pressure,-thevalve40 on the outlet of the condenser is partiallyclosed so that suflicientpressure is built up in theeondens'er 29 so as to insure satisfactoryseparation of condensable from noncondensable vapors inthe condenser 29..When

sufllcient oil has been discharged through the pipe 14 intothe still 15so as to partially fill-it,

, fire isstarted and a distillate of gasoline or gasoline-like productsis driven over through the'vapor line 28 andinto the condenser 29.Simultaneously'vapor may also be delivered into the con- I -denser 2 9through the pipetl and valve 32. .The length of the converter chamber 12and thenumber votheating iurnacesl, 1a, 1b, etc. will bedeterminedentirelyby-the amount of oil that is I V it to a conversiontemperature, of an enlarged conversion chamber connected therewith,conto be treatedin any onetwenty -io ur hourperiod.

The 'oilimthis process, after it is started, is.

pumped in at such a ratethat it will remain in i the apparatus and besubjected to the reacting. temperatures thirty minutes more or lessaccording to the time required'for producing gasoline or gasoline-likebodies. A pressure of.from 100' to 80 0-pounds maybe maintained,thisvarying' .with conditions-..

It is self evident that the longerthe converter 'chamber- 12 and the-more.nurnerous the furnaces 1, 1a, 127, etc., the more rapidly. oilcanbe pumped in the, apparatus 'andstillallow the the operation oftheflprocess; I

necessary. reactive time forthe productionof the gasoline-like product.Inorder that'the 'oil 7 may not circulate by-convec'tion backward;bafile platesfla, 3412 340, 3 4d, 3.4'e ,-.etc. may be placed in thevapor chamber 12 at right angles to its longitudinal dimension. A crosssection of. the con-f verterchamber lz with baffle plates-.34, etc. ,isshown in.- Fig. 4. {The height of this. bailie 'plate is one-fourththeldiameter of. the vapor chain 1 her 1 2, more or less according to'the amountof 0 that is being .carriedfin .theapparatus during Theoperationof this process providesl l means for continuous operation; andrecovery-cf: gasolineand gasoline-like products-during the operation ofthe process. It is also well. known that if a hydrocarbon .oil j isbeing subjected to a cracking process 'or' a conversion process, where:by light hydrocarbons are formed that there are ,also formed methane andother gases, which cannot be condensed intoia liquid at atmospheric"temperature. The amount of methane and non P condensable gas then is"proportionalto the amount of hydrocarbon products that, is .condensableinto a liquid at g-atmospheric' temperature. In the .operation of I thisprocess, such pressure is produced that "gasoline *or gasolinespectivestages;

like bodiesmay exist in the liquid phase, al-

though the temperature may be somewhat high,

that'is, from 35;) 00.450 degs. .C. or more. Now if the oilcontainingthis gasoline is withdrawn through the line 14 and a less proportion ofnoncondensable vapor isv withdrawn through the line 31 then the tendencyis for an excessive amount of'gasoline to be formed from thehydrocarbons inasmuchas the methane and other non-condensable vapors"are not withdrawn to .tl esame extentyasthe gasoline and, therefore,Jdo not have to be formed to establish the chemi- "cal equilibrium in asgreat amount as would be thecase ifthe non -condensable gas and the oilwere entirely withdrawn at the same time. Laboratory apparatus operatedin this way showed concusivelythat, if during the operation of theprocess non-conden'sable gas was withdrawn, a larger amount of gas wasformed than is the case-were it not withdrawn. Also it waslnecessary,however,'-to'remove some of the non conden'sable gas asthe pressure roseexcessively high if itwas not done, provided the gasoline was withdrawnand new'oil pumped in during the operation ofjthe process.

jI'claim asmyinventionz 1. In: an apparatus for treating petroleum, thecombination witha-plurality of tubes through nectio ns adapted to'permitthe continuous circulation'of oil through the tubes and the conversionchambena still having communication with'the conversion chamber, apressure reduction valve in the communicating line between theconversion chamber and still, a single condensing means connectedbyjseparate lines to the stilland conversion chamber for condensing'thevolatile material separated out the respective stages. I -2. In anapparatus fortreating petroleum, the

combination with an enlargedconversion chamber, of a plurality of tubesarranged in banksand connected to said chamber whereby a'continuous flowof oil may be effected through the tubes and the conversion chamber, astill having com- -munication with the conversion chamber, a pressurereduction valve inthe communicating line which oil is circulated for thepurpose of raising.

between the conversion chamber and still, a single ing the volatilematerial separated out in the rec qmprising a plurality of furnacesthrough which chamber. connected ltherewith, connections adapted topermit'the continuous circulation-o1 oil through the furnaces andconversion chamber,- a still having communication with theconversion"chamber,' a'pressureregulating valve in the communicatingline betweenthe'conversion chamber andstill, a vapor draw-oil lineconnected to'the conversion chamber having a regulating valve adapted toregulate pressures in the chamber and a, condenser connected tothe-vapor draw-off line'and to the-still. to condense the volatilematerial withdrawn from the chamber and still;

. 3.' An.fapparatus for treating petroleum oil,

1,920,930 I Y a 3 I 4. 'In an apparatus for treating petroleum, the

combination with a plurality of furnacesthrough which oil iscirculatedfor the purpose of raising it to, a conversion temperature; ofan enlarged conversion chamber connected therewith,- connections adaptedto permitthe continuous circulation of oil through the furnaces andconversion chamber, means associated with the chamber for maintaining aregulated vapor pressure on the lating means for condensingvolatilematerial separated out in the respective stages.

WALTER M. cRoss.

